In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford showed that he stood with Ozzy Osbourne‘s decision to retire from touring even though his long-time friend and peer knew how difficult of a decision that must have been for the Prince of Darkness to make.
Judas Priest was set to support Ozzy for his ‘No More Tours II’ run in 2019. However, the tour had to be postponed not only during Covid but for Osbourne’s health scares over the past few years. When it came to hitting the road this year, Ozzy announced last month that he had to cancel the tour due to ongoing health issues and retire from touring.
Halford reinforced that Osbourne has done so much for the metal community, and everyone who has been on the journey with him ultimately knows that the decision was heart-wrenching as he loves to perform for his fans. Rob also pointed out that it was the right call, but during this time when it’s the most difficult for the singer, everyone should be there to show support more than ever before.
Rob Halford’s words about Ozzy Osbourne’s decision to retire from touring:
“I can only reinforce what all of Ozzy’s fans, including us in Judas Priest, have said to him, though, which is that he has done so much for all of us in rock and metal. He’s done so much for his fans, and we all know how bad he feels about having to cancel because he lives for those fans. You can see he’s beaming and connecting with everybody every time he goes onstage.
He added:
“It was terrible for him to make that important – and, honestly, right – decision. He made the right call. I don’t think he wanted to put himself through a thing where it’s like, ‘Okay, we’ll have a go,’ then have to cancel after a couple of shows. Even though there’s a lot of love for him and a lot of care and understanding, I’ve seen what the British metal maniacs have been saying, and it’s exactly how I feel, too – put your feet up, you’ve earned it!”
Judas Priest, frontman and fans of Ozzy, know that it was a difficult decision for the metal icon to announce his retirement from touring. Rob encourages everyone to show support and be on this journey with Ozzy during this transition period when the singer has to face the reality of his situation regarding his health.
